


Salt Water

by Raen44



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beach, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bumbleby - Freeform, F/F, Fae & Fairies, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Supernatural stuff is going on, Yang is a mermaid, there's magic afoot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2020-09-28 15:36:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20428313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raen44/pseuds/Raen44
Summary: Blake goes to the beach to deal with the death of a family member, she finds solace in the crashing waves.--There was a flash of gold in the next wave."Why are you crying?"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! So this started out as a simple idea for some Beach AU fluff and quickly turned into an outlet for me to deal with some of my own personal emotional turmoil. Hopefully I didn't get too heavy-handed with that part, but be warned that it's probably going to get pretty self-indulgent in that respect.
> 
> This is also both my first RWBY fic and my first real Fluff fic, so go easy on me and any feedback is always appreciated. I can't promise I'll stick with this, but I'm gonna give it a shot, updates will probably be pretty sporadic though. In any case, enjoy some beach au fluff!

A light breeze brushed against her face, disturbing the line of tears running down her cheeks. They trailed down the line of her jaw, gathering at her chin and finally falling to the sand. A smattering of spots were already there, remnants of the past half hour. The vast expanse of Remnant's ocean stretched out before her, waves crashing against the shore and echoing in her ears. She couldn't help it when one of them twitched, another tear dropping to the sand.

A gentle hand settled on her shoulder and her mother, bless her heart, offered as much of a smile as she could given the circumstances. Her mother was likely going through just as much grief as she was, though possible handling it a bit better. Blake had never been particularly good at handling her emotions, more inclined to detach herself, bottle them up, and push them somewhere else for future Blake to deal with. And all things considered, her Uncle had died nearly two months ago now, so her mother had likely had time to process it, even if their current gathering was bringing it back to mind.

But standing here, an urn in her hand and ashes fluttering in the wind, this was the first time she was forced to confront it. To confront the fact that she would never see him again, would never take another trip to these glittering shores and taste her uncle's delicious cooking, never hear his deep booming laugh again. He was gone, just ashes being spread along the coastline.

It had taken a few minutes for it to hit her, standing there looking out over the waves and seeing the endless expanse of sea and sky. Something about it hit her harder than the waves were hitting the sand. The waters were rough today, and it seemed appropriate. Clouds filled the sky, threatening to dump their contents on the relatively empty beaches. But the moisture on her face had nothing to do with the weather.

She hadn't been particularly close to her uncle either, but all the memories she had of him were good ones. She didn't know much about his personal life, but she knew he was an amazing cook and a gentle person. A wonderful father if her cousins were anything to guy by, and one of the most generous people she had ever met. Every time her family had made the trip to the shore, he'd been there, if only for a day, bringing delicious food and warm company.

Another tear fell to the sand, and suddenly the whole beach became pocked with spots of moisture. The clouds had finally opened up and joined Blake in her sorrow. A sob wracked her body as her mother pulled her into her arms. Tears ran down her cheeks as she spoke in a shuddering voice.

"It's a terrible day for rain."

\--

An hour later found Blake on the porch of their rented beach house, staring out over the ocean once more. Her tears had dried by now, but her heart still felt heavy. Her parents and cousins were all inside, some of the younger ones still causing mayhem in the living room. She envied them a little bit, too young to be burdened by the somber atmosphere. Though at this point she almost felt like that atmosphere was solely her. She knew it wasn't the case, but it almost seemed like everyone else had moved on already. Maybe it really was that she was just late to the party, had bottled everything up until this point and was only just now dealing with it.

Realistically, she knew that her cousins were not in a great place, but they'd done a better job than her of saving face when they spread the ashes earlier. Part of her felt guilty for breaking down at all. How could she justify being this upset when the others around her were so much more affected by the loss than she was? It was... a struggle to interpret these emotions, she'd never been very good at that.

The storm had subsided, the rain had only really lasted fifteen minutes or so, and the skies were starting to clear up a bit. It was a bit of a jarring contrast to her somber mood. The sunset could be seen streaking through the gaps in the clouds and lighting up the vast stretch of ocean she was watching. One of her ears twitched as a particularly loud screech from one of her younger cousins echoed from inside the house. A flash of gold lit up the top of one of the waves as she watched the sun set. Her parents and cousins had sensed her somber mood and were giving her space, though she was sure they would love to watch the sunset after such a gloomy day. She was glad for the solitude though.

One of the waves lit up gold again and her brow furrowed. Was that the sunlight? She glanced up at the sky, the clouds, the rest of the ocean, before finally extracting herself from the chair she'd settled in. Something about that last flash hadn't been quite right. The angle of the sun, the color, they were all wrong, the reflection shouldn't be looking like that. Was there something in the water?

Maybe she was just looking for a distraction from her dour mood, but if that was the case it was working.

There it was again! A flash of bright yellow-gold broke the surface of the water, catching the light of the setting sun before crashing back down again. Blake rubbed her eyes for a moment before looking back out. It had crested the waves like a dolphin, but she could have sworn it had the form of a woman.

Shaking her head, she decided she may as well go down to the beach and see if she could get a closer look. The rain had stopped some time ago and the wind wasn't quite as bad as it had been earlier in the day, so she wrapped a towel around her arms and made her way down the weathered stairs to the sand. The house they rented was right on the shore, and their porch had a staircase leading down directly onto the beach. It had been a tradition for years, every summer they would rent a house here for a week, and everyone in the family would have a chance to get away from everything for a while. Take a break from the city, the hustle and bustle, the stress of work, and just unwind and lose all their worries to the ocean breeze. It worked wonders for all of them, and it was no surprise that her mother was considering buying a house here full time.

Her feet hit the sand and sank an inch or so, the dunes and the few dozen feet directly past them weren't packed down quite as much as the sand closer to the waves. It was soft and got between her toes, tickling them slightly as the wind picked up loose grains. The feeling brought back memories of that afternoon, and suddenly she wasn't quite so composed anymore.

Warm waves lapping at her feet.

Her soles sinking deeper into the sand as the current pulled back into the sea.

The crash of waves hitting the shore.

The feeling of ashes slipping between her fingers...

There were tears on her face again, and through her blurred vision she could have sworn she saw that flash of gold again. She didn't have the energy for sobs anymore, but tears painted their way down her face, dripping upon the sand in an echo of that afternoon. It hurt, not quite as bad as it had earlier, but it still hurt.

Her feet continued on autopilot, bringing her down to where the waves were lapping against the shore. They were much calmer than before, almost as if the world itself had been raging through its own set of emotions just as she was. The sudden rainstorm granted even more evidence to that idea. The sea reflecting her turmoil and the sky sharing her tears. She'd never really been one to believe in those things, but it all seemed to line up too well.

Seawater wrapped around her ankles, gentle and warm, as if to offer her its own form of comfort. Her toes sank into the sand as the tide pulled it out from under them. Little craters formed under her feet and bits of sand gathered on top of them as she watched patches of seafoam get carried back out to meet the waves. It was calming, but did little to stay her tears, and now they were joining the vast stretch of saltwater. She didn't understand why it hit her like this, she'd been fine moments ago, but now the feeling of sand between her toes and waves lapping at her feet was bringing her to tears. Her heart hurt and her tears fell as she grappled with the fact that she would never see him again.

She took another step into the waves, paying no mind to the fact that they splashed up to her skirt and began to soak the fabric. It clung to her knees and thighs as she strode further into the water. She didn't know what she was doing, but the warm embrace of the waves was a comfort she didn't quite understand. She'd unknowingly dropped the towel on the sand behind her and was knee deep in the waves now, her fingertips brushing against the taller ones that crashed past her.

In moments she was up to her waist, the currents swaying her body back and forth. They weren't particularly strong, feeling more like a gentle push, a force checking to see if she was ok. She wasn't, but didn't think it was appropriate to tell the ocean that. What was she doing anyway? Standing out waist deep in the ocean as the sun set below the waves, you weren't supposed to go out this far after dark, it was dangerous. The water didn't feel dangerous though, it felt like a friend.

A tear dropped from her chin, splashing against the waves.

There was a flash of gold in the next wave.

Her eyes widened, and through the tears she saw the face of a woman, framed by a massive head of golden hair that was plastered to her body by the water. The woman was staring at her and Blake realized her mouth was moving, she was asking her something.

"Why are you crying?"

Blake stumbled backwards, almost falling into the waves before a cold, wet hand snapped out and grabbed her arm. She managed to steady herself then, eyes wide as she stared at the woman in front of her. Her mane of golden hair was soaked and clung to her form, a form that she now realized was completely naked. She'd thought she'd seen a human form in the waves, but she hadn't expected to actually be right. It registered then that the woman had asked her a question.

"I- You- Um... Who are you?" Her mind had already been a jumbled mess from all the emotions she was trying to process, and this woman's sudden appearance certainly hadn't helped.

The woman crossed her arms over her chest, which was largely covered by her hair anyways, and fixed Blake with glare that didn't quite break the grin on her face.

"Well I asked you first," She said, indignant, "Plus I saw you out here earlier and you were crying then too, so it's gotta be something important."

Wait, what? This woman had been watching her earlier too? That wasn't the most comforting thing in the world to hear. She'd been at probably the most vulnerable and exposed she'd been in years when they had been spreading her uncle's ashes, and to hear that she'd been spied on? Her walls went up in an instant and her eyes narrowed at the blonde.

"Why were you watching me?" There wasn't quite as much heat in her voice as she would have liked, considering her emotional state, but points for trying.

"Nothing better to do, honestly," The woman said, shrugging, "And you were the cutest girl on the beach, so it seemed like a good option, until you started crying at least..." Her voice trailed off briefly and she looked down for a moment, before her head snapped back up with a new fire in her eyes, "But you still didn't answer my question!"

Nothing better to do? What, was this woman just spending all day out in the waves? That seemed a little absurd, especially considering the storm earlier. And- wait, cutest girl on the beach?? Her cheeks flushed a little, but her anger at being spied on quickly cleared any embarrassment she might have had.

"What, have you been out here all day? Just spying on people?"

"Uh, yeah? I mean, there's not really any better place for me to go." The woman gestured at the waves below them, as if it meant something.

Blake suddenly felt something brush against one of her legs beneath the waves, like a fish or something. She looked down and froze. Things suddenly started to click into place with what she saw. The woman was naked, had apparently spent all day out in the ocean, and enjoyed watching random people on the beach, it also explained the way she'd been moving through the waves earlier.

A long, serpentine tail extended from the woman's lower body in place of a pair of legs, shimmering with golden scales.

A mermaid.

Blake was standing here, waist deep in the ocean, talking to a mermaid.

A mermaid who'd asked her why she was crying.

What in the world was going on.

She was still frozen in place, staring at the woman's tail, when she felt a finger prod her shoulder. She looked up to see the Mermaid watching her with a grin and a raised eyebrow.

"I- you- what??" Once again, her mental faculties were not running at a hundred percent.

"You alright there, kitty cat?"

Well that brought her back down to earth a bit. Faunus were a thing, so she supposed mermaids being real wasn't actually that farfetched. She shook her head to clear the cobwebs.

"Sorry, I- I've just never- " Ok, how could she word this without coming off as incredibly rude.

"Never seen a Siren before?" The woman's arms were still crossed and her expression was diving further and further into amused. "And you still haven't answered my question."

Blake huffed in mild exasperation. She hadn't been purposefully trying to divert the conversation, but the revelation that mermaids were real seemed a little more significant than the reasons for her tears. Tears which had dried on her face at this point.

"Why do you even care?" Her voice came out a little harsher than she'd meant, and she grimaced when the woman flinched a little.

"Well, I mean, cute girl who I've been watching most of the day, seems distressed, and then comes out to meet me in the water. If nothing else I'm at least curious. And I'm not heartless, I do actually care."

"I- Sorry," Blake deflated, her shoulders slumping, "I just, there's been a lot on my mind, and the revelation that Mermaids- or Sirens?" The woman nodded in confirmation, grin still firmly in place, "The revelation that Sirens exist is kind of throwing everything for another loop?" She finished the statement with a shrug and some vague hand movements, trying to convey her scrambled state of mind.

"Alright, fair enough. Most people don't know about us, so I guess I can give you that."

"Aren't you supposed to like, not let people know you're real? Or something? Or is that just the stories?"

"I mean, I guess?" The woman shrugged, she didn't seem to care much, "Though technically you found me, so that would be fair and square."

"You weren't exactly hiding," Blake quipped.

"You see anybody else out here though?"

Blake turned, and indeed the rest of the beach was almost entirely deserted. The few people who were out were far enough away that they'd only notice two people together out in the water. She supposed the woman had a point.

"I never got your name," She said, upon that realization.

"And you still haven't answered my question." The grin was back in full force. Blake sighed.

"We were spreading my uncle's ashes today," She finally said, wrapping her arms around herself, "That's why we were out here earlier, and that's why I was crying."

"Oh," The grin was gone, and a part of her was sad about that, "Shit, god, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed like that."

"It's- it's ok." She lied, but faking it worked too sometimes, "it's just- this is the first time I've really been forced to confront it since he died. I kinda pushed it down and bottled it up until now, and it all just sort of... boiled over." A hand settled on her shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze.

"Yang." 

"What?" Blake's eyebrows were scrunched up in confusion.

"My name," The mermaid said, Yang said, "My name is Yang."

"Yang," Blake repeated, feeling the word roll off her tongue, it sounded nice, "My name's Blake."

"Nice to meet you, Blake." Yang said, grinning as she removed her hand from Blake's shoulder and held it out.

"You too." She shook the mermaid's hand, still reeling a bit from that revelation.


	2. Chapter 2

Blake had returned to the beach house soaked from head to toe that night. Yang had found it amusing to dunk her beneath one of the waves before she left the Siren to her devices. Her parents had fussed and fretted over her when she had returned, worried something had happened. The giggle she let out at their antics had been enough to dissuade them however, it had been some time since she'd laughed like that.

She honestly wasn't completely convinced it hadn't been an elaborate dream when she woke up the next day; a fantasy she had dredged up to distract her from her uncle's passing, but the clothes hanging out to dry were enough evidence that something had happened. She'd just have to see if she could find the wayward Siren again.

"Blake, honey?" Her mother's voice interrupted her thoughts, and she realized she'd been sitting in front of an empty coffee cup for several moments.

Blake turned to her mother and tilted her head, quirking an eyebrow to ask what was up. Her parents were both used to her tendency to engage in conversations non-verbally by now, so she quickly picked up on the cue.

"Your father and I are going to go shopping here in a little bit, would you like to join us?"

It was an innocent offer, an effort by her parents to get her out of the house, out of whatever funk she had found herself in. Somehow she didn't think it would do so much good as staying on the beach. So she shook her head, gesturing out the glass doors to the porch overlooking the sands.

"I think I'm just gonna enjoy the beach today." Well, more than just sit on the sands hopefully, but she didn't think it was the best idea to tell her parents she'd met a Siren. Not yet at least, not until she'd confirmed Yang was real if nothing else.

"Alright," Kali said, eyeing Blake for a moment, "But if you change your mind, just give us a call and we can come get you. Don't want you to feel cooped up in the house all week."

"Thanks, Mom." A nod. She would, if she wound up feeling that way. She supposed if she couldn't find Yang today, she might actually take her parents up on that offer. But first she had to know.

"Of course, honey." Her mother's eyes had softened, clearly worried for her daughter, but aware enough to let her have her space, "But remember to put on sunscreen and stay hydrated, alright? Wouldn't want you getting a heat stroke out there." Buuuuut still fretting about her, in her own way.

A small smile crept onto Blake's face at her mother's worrying. It was a nice reminder that, despite how she felt sometimes, people did care for her. Her father stepped into the kitchen then, a mountain of a man that towered over both women in the room, but a gentle one.

"Are we ready, Kali?" He asked, flashing a gleaming smile to his daughter as he approached, "Will Blake be joining us?"

"No, she's going to work on her tan today, it's a gorgeous day for it."

"That it is," her father responded with a bellowing laugh. He ruffled Blake's hair with one of his massive hands, much to her chagrin, and let out another laugh when she swiped at his arm. "Just wear your swimsuit this time, wouldn't want you ruining another pair of clothes now, would we?"

"Yes, dad." Blake's eye roll was contradicted by the reddening of her cheeks, but the jest helped nonetheless. Things were looking up a little bit, despite the grim mood of the previous day. Blake had gotten most of her emotions out, and was on the upswing now. Especially with a certain blonde Siren on her mind.

"Alright, well you have fun out there, we'll be back for dinner tonight." 

With that, her father led her mother out of the house and she was alone again. Her aunt and cousins had left earlier that morning, so she was suddenly faced with an unusual silence. She poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot that had just finished and turned to the glass doors on the back of the building. Watching the waves crash on the beach brought a sense of calm to her. This beach had always been a haven for her, and it was lucky that she had the chance to be here during a time of emotional turmoil. The smell of the saltwater and the sound of the waves did wonders to help her process.

She was safe here.

It was something that she had always felt. The memories she had made in this place, the changes she'd seen over the years, and the ever present beach atmosphere. It all gave her a sense of calm and reassurance that she sorely lacked in her everyday life. Between school, work, and her... relationships, there was more than enough drama and stress to send her spiralling down, and the beach was just what the doctor ordered to help relieve that.

She took her time changing into her swimsuit, revelling in the feeling of not having to rush. The occasion may have been a somber one, but they were still on vacation, so she'd savor that while she could. Her life at home always moved so fast, it was nice to slow down and take her time for a bit.

She grabbed the beach bag; a tote piled full of towels, sunscreen, sunglasses, anything you could need for a day out on the sand, and pulled the door open. The sound of waves and the ocean breeze greeted her and she couldn't help but smile, it was a gorgeous day.

As she walked out of the house, her phone lay forgotten on the kitchen counter. It suddenly lit up as someone attempted to call her, an image of a man with red hair and small horns protruding from his forehead filled the screen for a moment before it went to voicemail.

\--

An hour later found the cat faunus dozing on a large beach towel. A liberal coating of sunscreen was keeping her from being sunburnt, but she roused herself enough to realize she should probably give her back a break. Shaking herself awake, she sat up and gazed out over the ocean. A few puffy, white clouds ambled through the sky, matching the caps of the gentle waves that rolled against the shore. The breeze was calm today, so the waters were perfect for swimming. Glancing up and down the beach, she could see several families were taking advantage of that, but it was anything but crowded.

That was one thing she'd always loved about this place, Patch Island was small enough that it didn't draw tourist crowds like the beaches in menagerie. Not as many people knew about it, and it wasn't overrun with tourist traps like some of the bigger beaches. No boardwalks choked with tacky shops, no massive crowds, no piles of litter on the sands, just pure beach and gentle waves. The water was perfect in the summer too, not too cold and just the right amount of roughness to make it great for shark tooth hunting. Her family had built up quite the collection of sharks teeth over the years of combing these sands, it was practically tradition at this point.

A somber smile graced Blake's face as she recalled her uncle, bent over the waves at his feet, plucking a massive tooth from the sands. He'd been one of the best at it, out of all them, and always seemed to find the hidden gems. She was surprised that the memory didn't bring any tears with it. Her heart hurt still, but it seemed she was past the worst of her grief. She would miss him, no doubt, but she knew he wouldn't want her to squander the time she had on his account. So she promised herself to make the most of this vacation.

That in mind, she stood up and stretched, hearing her bones and muscles creak in protest from the movement. It was high time she took a proper dip in the waters. Aside from her escapade the previous evening, she hadn't actually gone swimming in them yet, and today was the perfect day for it.

The waves were warm and soothing on her skin as she waded in. The first twenty feet or so were only up to her knees, and it was a gentle slope into the deeper waters. She closed her eyes and let the waves push against her, feeling the ocean breeze on her face. There was peace here, in this water, in this wind, in this sky. She opened her eyes and dove into the next wave, coming up on the other side with a smile on her face. Her hair clung to her, laden with salt water, but she didn't care. The warmth of the sun contrasted with the cool waters, keeping her body in a comfortable mid-range.

A content sigh escaped her and she let herself float for a moment. She had missed this. Life had kept her away from this beach and these waters for too long. She wished she didn't have to leave, that she could stay here and enjoy this calm forever.

Something brushed her leg, bringing her out of her thoughts, and when she opened her eyes a head of wet blonde hair was there to greet her.

"So you are real," She said, trying (and failing) to keep the smile from bleeding through.

The siren in front of her huffed, crossing her arms and attempting some form of a pout.

"What? You seriously thought I was fake?" There was a grin hiding behind the pout, and it seemed she was struggling just as much as Blake was to keep it hidden.

"I wasn't entirely convinced you weren't an extremely vivid dream," Her smile had finally broken through, "Though I must say I'm happy to be proven wrong."

Yang's smile broke through as well accompanied by a giggle, and she made a little circle around Blake, coming back up so that only her head and shoulders were visible above the water.

"Well it's good to see you too, Kitty cat."

Blake raised an eyebrow, glancing up and down the shore. She was surprised to see that it was actually fairly empty, it seemed most of the families had decided to go in for the afternoon.

"Oh come on, it's the middle of the day, I'm being a little more careful this time," The Siren said, noticing her look, "I'm not that bad."

"And yet you didn't have any qualms about swimming right up to me," Blake pointed out, eyebrow still arched.

"Hey!" The mermaid said, suddenly indignant, "I was careful about that too! Nobody else saw me!"

This time Blake's brow furrowed. Yang had seemed to miss her point entirely. Apparently the fact that her existence had been revealed to Blake was no cause for concern to the Siren, she was only worried about other people seeing her.

"But... I saw you?" She finally said, uncertain.

"Well-" Yang's cheeks turned a light shade of pink and she suddenly looked nervous, "I mean, you haven't told anyone, have you?"

"I- well, no, I haven't, but still-" She was cut off by the Siren's excited response.

"See! I knew I could trust you with my secret." She finished that statement with an exaggerated wink that didn't do much to assuage Blake's confusion. Old insecurities suddenly started bubbling to the surface, there was a moment of silence where she just stared at Yang, confused.

"...Why are you trusting me with this?" She finally said, voice coming out in a whisper. The siren heard her though, small fins that she hadn't noticed poking out of the side of her head twitching as she moved in closer to blake. A wet hand brushed her arm.

"I- I don't know, you just- you seemed like you needed someone and-" She was stuttering, why was she stuttering? "-And then when you came out into the water, and I could tell you'd seen me, I just... I wasn't sure what to do, but when you started crying, I couldn't just leave you there..."

Blake brought her hands up to wrap around herself, suddenly the water felt colder. Had a cloud passed in front of the sun? 

"My parents gave me such shit for my soaked clothes last night," She said, attempting to inject some humor into the suddenly somber mood. It only sort of worked, but it still made Yang laugh.

"Who needs clothes anyway?" The Siren's eyebrows waggled on her forehead and she danced away as Blake tried to splash her. Blake couldn't keep the small smile off her face after that.

"You keep talking like it's some huge deal that I saw you," She pointed out, curiosity getting the better of her, "It's not like you were being particularly subtle."

This time it was Yang's brow that furrowed, her lips curled into a frown and there was something in her eyes that Blake couldn't quite identify.

"You weren't supposed to see me, Blake."

What?

"What's that supposed to mean? You were cresting every other wave it felt like, your hair wasn't hard to spot." She let out a nervous chuckle, Yang's sudden change in attitude was unsettling.

"No, Blake, you weren't supposed to be _able_ to see me."

"I- what?"

"We, Sirens, we have some latent magic, you- you _shouldn’t_ have been able to see me."

Blake blinked slowly.

"Oh."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> apologies for the long wait on this, I struggle a lot with motivation for my writing. But here it is! Hopefully i can muster up the motivation to keep writing in quarentine, anyway, enjoy the chapter!

"Hey Mom, do you know anything about... Sirens?" Blake asked.

It was later that night, Blake had come back inside after her chat with Yang. Her thoughts were still a jumbled mess in regards to the Siren, trying to process both the fact that they were real and the fact that she could somehow see them when she wasn't supposed to. She'd heard a few murmurs about the creatures (she felt weird calling them that after meeting one) during her childhood, but honestly didn't know much about the legends associated with them. She hoped her mother might have a little more insight on the subject.

Kali looked up from the book she had been reading, sprawled out across one of the couches. One of her eyebrows arched up in response to Blake's question and she gave her daughter a curious look.

"Sirens?" She asked, "Why do you ask?"

"I just-" Blake stopped, considering what all she should tell her mother, "I uh, I heard some folks on the beach talking about them today." That was a good enough reason, right? "And I was just curious."

"Well," Kali started, stretching and sitting up from her lounge position. That explanation seemed to have been enough to appease Blake's mother. "They're mythical creatures, to start off with. Most documented sightings have been debunked, and a lot of the folks who claim to have seen one tend to fall off into the woodwork after a while."

Blake frowned at that, that didn't sound like a good thing. But she did recall some sort of legend about Sirens pulling sailors down to their deaths and the like, so there may be some truth to it.

"Are there... any Legends or anything about them?" She asked, trying to act like she was just curious again, but the way her mother's eyebrow quirked up again said she may have been less than successful.

"Why the sudden interest?" Kali asked, "I don't recall you ever showing this much interest in local folklore before,"

"I- I don't know, I just-" Blake struggled to come up with something, "Just, trying to get my mind off of things, I guess." It felt like a dirty tactic, but it wasn't entirely untrue. Her new obsession with Yang and her appearance was certainly a way to get her mind off of her uncles death, but it felt wrong using that to weedle information out of her mother.

"Ah, well, um," Her mother stuttered, awkwardly trying to backpedal from her prying, "Well in that case I'll try to tell you what I can remember. Although the locals might be a bit more familiar with the legends." Well that was a thought, maybe she could go into town tomorrow and try to ask around. "I know some of it started back in the old days, when oceanic trade was a big thing. Rumours of beautiful women in the waves and all that. I'm not sure how much of it was legitimate, or just horny sailors stuck on boats for too long," The two shared a light chuckle at that, "But they seemed to keep showing up. Stories of sailors being guided out of dangerous storms, or being lured to their deaths. As far as I can recall, there were stories from both ends, so it was always a debate whether they were a boon or a curse.

"That's about where my knowledge of them runs dry though," Kali finished, "Does that satisfy your curiosity? Like I said, the locals probably know more if you really want to get into it."

"Yeah, I- I think that helps," Blake answered, giving her mother a small smile, "Thanks mom. I might go see if I can find some folks in town to ask about it tomorrow."

"I think that would be good," Kali smiled at her daughter, "You know how your father is always telling you to talk to more people your age."

"I know, I know," Blake said, rolling her eyes. She couldn't keep the small smile off of her face though. Her father's nagging could be frustrating at times, but there was an endearing quality to it. "Well I think I'm going to turn in for the night. Goodnight, Mom."

"Goodnight dear, get some rest," Her mother's gentle voice followed her as she made her way out of the living room towards the bedroom she was using for the week.

That talk hadn't been quite as informative as she had hoped, but she had a direction to go in now. Tomorrow she would head into town and try and do some more research. Yang had been a bit tight-lipped on the topic, and had made some excuse to head off after their conversation earlier. That of course had made Blake even more curious, and now she was on a mission to uncover these secrets. 

She flopped down on her bed and noticed her phone lying forgotten on the bedside table. She'd had a missed call from Adam when she came in from the beach, but had elected to ignore it. She didn't want to spoil her vacation with her relationship woes, but her boyfriend didn't seem share that sentiment. She picked the phone up off of the nightstand, and found an unread text from him this time.

'When are you coming home?' It read, and Blake let out a frustrated sigh. He couldn't just let her be, could he? Of course he couldn't, he was Adam. She tapped out a quick response, hoping to appease him for now.

'4 days' She sent. She hadn't even set the phone back down before it buzzed again with his response.

'You can't come back any sooner?' Blake pinched the bridge of her nose. She liked the man, but she swore he drove her up a wall sometimes.

'Why, is something wrong?' She typed back.

'No, just want you here' He responded, not 30 seconds later.

Blake tossed her phone onto the table in frustration. She was on vacation right now, and he could handle himself without her for another few days. It wouldn't kill the man to have give her a little space, he was controlling enough in their home life as it was. 

She decided then to leave him on read for the rest of the week. Hopefully she'd keep that resolve up and give him a taste of what it felt like.

With that dealt with, she shoved her face into the pillow and tried to get some rest, she had a long day ahead of her tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Chapter? Less than a week after the last one?? What is this madness?!?
> 
> Seriously though, I hope this writing streak keeps up and I can keep cranking out this content for yall. Thank you everyone for reading and leaving feedback! Enjoy this next chapter!

A flash of lightning.

A clap of thunder.

The pounding of rain against the windows.

She was in the living room, everything was dark.

Another flash of lightning, the room lit up. Something was... wrong? Her head was spinning, or was that the room? The wind howled outside like a pack of wolves, tearing at the siding of the house and the shingles on the roof.

There was a terrible cracking, tearing, ripping noise, and suddenly she wasn't in the living room anymore. The wall had been torn off and the fishing pier extended out from where it had been, the storm raging beyond and sheets of rain crashing down upon it.

Her legs moved unbidden, carrying her out onto the slick wooden boards. She felt the rain tear into her, but didn't feel the pain. More steps, more slick wooden boards.

A crash, the pier shook. The ocean raged below, clawing and scraping its way up the wooden supports that kept the pier out of its reach. She reach the end of the pier; a jagged, broken wreck where the storm had torn it apart. She looked into the ocean below, the pier swayed beneath her, and she swayed with it. A massive wave rose up from the waters, higher than the pier, higher than her, higher than she could even imagine. There was a speck of gold within its murky surface.

She did not feel fear.

\--

Blake jolted awake, panting for breath as the last vestiges of the dream left her. It had been so vivid, and felt so real. She normally had trouble remembering her dreams, but this one stood out stark and stunning in her mind. What had that been? She glanced out the window of her bedroom. There was no rain, no thunder or lightning, no raging storm tearing the house apart.

A heavy sigh left her and she ran a hand through her hair, before jerking it back in confusion. She glanced down out herself and her eyes widened. She was absolutely soaked! And this wasn't night sweats soaked, this was like she had just stepped out of the ocean soaked. Her brow furrowed and curiosity got the better of her, she brought the soaked bedsheet up to her nose and gave it a whiff.

Salt water.

What in the world was going on? 

"Blake, honey!" Her mother's voice called through her closed door, snapping her out of her thoughts, "Breakfast is ready, you'd better come get it before it gets cold!"

"Okay," She called back, still staring at the soaking wet sheets in her hands, "I'll be out in a minute..."

Blake shook her head and stumbled out of bed. She quickly pulled the wet sheets off of the bed, luckily it seemed the water hadn't quite seeped into the mattress yet, wherever it had come from. Her pajamas were still dripping though, so she tossed them in the pile with the sheets and jumped into the shower.

Her thoughts swam as the hot water pounded against her. That sort of thing didn't just _happen_, at least as far as she knew. Something was definitely up, and she had a nagging feeling that it had something to do with this whole siren business.

She stepped out of the shower a few minutes later, drying herself off and dressing a set of dry clothing. The smell of seawater still clung to her, but she could pass it off as a beach thing, that was normal, right? She grabbed the pile of wet clothing and bedsheets and opened her door, peeking out into the living room. Her parents were sitting at the kitchen table, eating their breakfast, both absorbed in their respective reading materials. She made her way quickly over to the laundry room, doing her best to not draw attention from them.

"Everything alright, Blake?" Her father called, not looking up from the newspaper. She winced, of course he had heard her sneaking out of her room, "You don't usually shower in the mornings."

"I uh, I had a nightmare," Blake said, "Just wanted to clear my head," It wasn't _technically_ a lie. The dream had certainly rattled her, but she also didn't want to tell her parents that she had woken up soaked in _seawater_.

"Ah, of course," Ghira responded awkwardly, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks dad," she answered, hurrying over to the laundry room before he could interrogate her any further. She threw the soaked fabric in the wash and set it running before letting out a loud sigh. She didn't know why she was being so cagey with her parents, she was normally so open with them. They'd always been so supportive of her, even when she ran off to join that faunus rights group when she was younger. But something about telling them about all of this made her queasy, and she didn't understand why.

Well, she'd just have to get to the bottom of it and hopefully things would sort themselves out.

\--

Ten minutes later and Blake was stepping out of the beach house into the gentle summer weather. A few wispy white clouds clung to the blue canvas of the sky, and it was a perfect temperature for a morning walk. She took a deep breath and smiled as the scent of the ocean and the sound of waves crashed against her senses, this time from the actual ocean. Blake Belladonna had a mission, and it was time to get started.

With a spring in her step, despite the morning's unusual events, Blake made her way down to the main street than ran up and down the length of Patch island. The island was so small that it only had one stop light, and probably less than a dozen intersections. She turned and started towards said stoplight, and the closest thing this island had to a commercial area. There was a particular restaurant she was heading for, a little hole-in-the-wall place run by a family of locals. It had been there for longer than she could remember, and its walls were covered floor to ceiling with all sorts of local memorabilia. If anyone around here were to know anything about all of this, Blake had a hunch it would be them.

The bell above the door jingled as a swung open, alerting the orange-haired girl sitting at the counter. She looked up from the magazine she had been reading and beamed at Blake with the brightest smile the faunus had ever seen. She almost had to squint.

"Hey there!" The girl said, her voice bright and energetic, "Welcome to The Remora! What can I get'cha?"

"Hi, I actually-" 

"Ren!" Blake was cut off by the girl shouting loudly through the window into the kitchen, "Customer! You better not be sleeping back there!"

"Ah-"

"You know I am awake, Nora," came a calm voice through the window, and Blake caught a glimpse of black hair with a pink highlights as the man waved at her through it, "Now let the lovely lady order, please."

"Oh, right, sorry," the now named Nora said with an impish grin, "What'll you be havin' this morning?"

"I was actually..." her stomach grumbled loudly as she realized she hadn't actually eaten any of the breakfast her parents had made in her rush to get out of the house, "Well I wanted to ask you some questions, but pancakes do sound really good right now."

"Haha! Success! Another one converted to the glorious house of Pancakes!" Nora cried with a triumphant grin, "You just go ahead and take a seat, hun. We'll get those sorted for ya' and then you can ask us all the questions you like. Been a slow day anyway."

"Right, thanks," She said, taking a seat in one of the booths up against the wall. She took a moment to glance around the interior of the restaurant. Various bits of memorabilia lined the walls, from old license plates, to maps of the area, to newspaper clippings, and even an old jukebox sat in one corner. Her eyes caught on a specific piece behind the counter, hung next to the menu. It was a picture of a gorgeous sunset out over one of the piers, but Blake could make out a shape leaping from one of the waves. It wasn't the clearest picture, but Blake was pretty sure she recognized that silhouette.

That was when she heard a commotion from the kitchen, and Nora came out carrying a plate of food and a glass of water. She set both of them before Blake and took a seat across from her in the booth.

"Ren'll be out in a sec, just gotta clean up in the kitchen," She said, "So what'd you wanna know?"

Blake picked up the glass of water and took a sip, still staring at the photo. She motioned up to it.

"Where did that picture come from?"

Nora turned, straining her neck to see what she was pointing at. Blake noticed her tense slightly when she finally saw, and raised an eyebrow. 

"Oh! That uh," Nora stuttered slightly, "One of the local fishermen took that, it's a great picture, innit?"

"Hmm, yeah, it is," Blake answered, taking a bite of her pancakes and staring at the picture as she munched away.

"Why do you ask?" Came the calm voice of the chef, Ren. Blake hadn't noticed him stepping out of the kitchen, he'd been so quiet. A black apron was tied around his front with the words 'Please do nothing to the cook.' emblazoned upon it. Blake had to suppress a giggle upon seeing that. But she finished her bite and answered his question.

"Just wondering what that figure jumping out of the wave is."

The diner went silent.

Both Ren and Nora were staring at her with wide eyes. Blake raised an eyebrow at them.

"What did you say your name was...?" Nora asked, her voice noticeably quieter.

"Blake Belladonna," She answered, "And I was hoping you two could tell me a bit about Sirens."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! Sorry this took a bit, my motivation has been all over the place and I've been spending a lot of it on a new project which will hopefully be getting published soon! Anyway, this chapter establishes a bit of lore for the world we're dealing with in this fic. I'm pulling stuff from a lot of different sources and am still sort of cobbling it together, so apologies if anything doesn't quite make sense. I'm very bad about planning ahead, and I just sort of write ideas as they come to me. So please call me out on any continuity errors you find, cus I'm bad at that lol. 
> 
> Anyhow, enjoy this new chapter as we get a glimpse into what else is going on here!

Ren and Nora were glancing nervously between each other and her. Blake raised an eyebrow and continued to casually eat the breakfast the pair had served her. After a tense moment, Ren walked over to the door and locked it, flipping the sign on it to closed, before taking the seat next to Nora. The girl was clearly very nervous about this conversation, fiddling idly with one of the napkins that had been sitting out on the table. She kept shooting furtive glances to the chef, and Blake was just about to have mercy on the girl when he finally broke the silence.

"So," He started, giving Blake a look, "What do you know already?"

Blake took another bite of her pancakes, contemplating the question for a moment. She wasn't entirely sure how much she should tell the duo. Based on their reactions though, she had a feeling they already knew something of what was going on. She set her utensils down and looked up at the pair, lacing her fingers and setting her chin on them.

"Well, I know I'm not supposed to be able to see them." She answered, "But I'm not entirely sure why."

Ren's eyebrow rose.

"You have seen one then?"

"I may have stumbled upon one the other day, yes." Blake said, "She... wasn't quite what I would have expected. Although I honestly wasn't expecting to bump into a siren at all."

There was a thud as Nora's head hit the table. Blake's eyebrows shot up, but the girl groaned and turned her head slightly to face her.

"It was Yang, wasn't it?" Nora asked, annoyance seeping into her tone. Blake blinked, cocking her head in confusion.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I knew it!" Nora exclaimed, shooting up and throwing her hands up in exasperation. "I told her this would happen! Didn't I tell her, Ren?"

"Yes, yes you did." The chef responded with a sigh. Blake blinked again. This wasn't exactly the reaction she had expected.

"Wait so," The cat faunus started, "You guys... know Yang?"

"Yeah, we do," Nora answered, rolling her eyes, "Gods she is SUCH a blonde!"

"Nora," Ren chastised, but Blake couldn't stop the small giggle that she let out at Nora's statement. She couldn't deny that the blonde was the slightest bit ditzy. It was endearing though.

"Whaaaat??" The orange haired girl answered, "She is!"

"I mean, she's not wrong." Blake said with a small smile. Ren gave her an odd look, and she raised an eyebrow at him. The quiet chef shook his head and smiled.

"Regardless of our mutual friend's hair color," He said, "I don't believe that is what you came to discuss."

"Oh, yeah, sorry!" Nora apologized, "Got a little bit off track there, it's not every day we get someone who can see 'em!"

"I was wondering about that, actually," Blake said, "How exactly am I able to see her, if I'm not supposed to? I've never seen any sirens before, and my family and I have been coming here for years."

"Well they're not supposed to be easy to spot, but Yang's, y'know, YANG, so that gets kinda thrown out the window sometimes." Nora answered.

"As for your ability to see them," Ren continued, "There are several possibilities. Almost all of them involve you not being entirely human, or faunus as it were."

"Wait, what?" Blake's brow furrowed in confusion. What did that mean?

"Yeah! They're like, technically Fae, so supposedly only other Fae should be able to see them, unless they want you to." Nora was oddly enthusiastic about this now, a strange shift from her initial reaction. Blake frowned. Fae? That was... well she supposed it wasn't really any crazier than Sirens being real. The revelation that she might be part Fae though, was a little more concerning.

"So... are you two...?" Blake asked, hesitant.

"Yup!" The bubbly girl answered, "Dad was a redcap! They're not near as bad as the stories say though."

"And...?" Blake said, turning to Ren.

"My mother is a Nymph," The man's calm voice contrasted the maelstrom of thoughts within Blake's head.

"Ok, so... I have several questions." She started, trying to make sense of all the information she had just been given. She crossed her arms in front of her and stared at her half-eaten pancakes for a moment. "First off, I guess, is... I mean I asked Yang the same thing, but, why are you telling me all of this?"

"Well you've already met Yang," Nora answered, "So you're kinda already in the loop. Plus if you can see her, then you're sort wrapped up in it anyways?"

"That's... that's the thing," Blake said slowly, "I... I didn't know about, well, ANY of this. Not until I met Yang the other day."

"You never had any odd experiences growing up?" Ren asked with a raised eyebrow, "No strange encounters with Fae creatures?"

"Nothing that really stands out, honestly," She answered, "And as far as I'm aware, none of my family are Fae. So why can I see her?" The couple shared a furtive glance before looking back at her.

"There are... a couple options," Nora started, "But most of them would've already manifested by now."

"Yes," Ren continued, "As far as I can tell, you are not Fae. There are other possibilities, but as Nora said, if that were the case you likely would have seen the effects of them by your age."

Blake's head was swimming. Revelation after revelation were wracking her mind and shattering her previous perceptions. Suddenly not only were Sirens real, but so were a whole host of other Fae creatures. She could apparently see them, despite not being of Fae heritage, which left some vague possibilities that she had no idea about. She had to physically grab her own head and rest it in her hands for a moment, wrestling her thoughts in order.

"What... what are the other possibilities?" She finally managed. The pair shared another concerned glance before Nora finally answered her.

"Well there's only really one, and it's... Witchcraft."

There was a heavy silence.

"...witchcraft?" Blake asked hesitantly after a moment, "Like... actual magic?"

Ren's eyebrow rose. The unspoken question written on his face. Was this really so hard to believe considering the rest of the secrets she'd been told over the past week? She supposed not. If Fae existed then it was only logical that magic was also somehow involve. But the idea that she was somehow involved in it? Her mind went back to how she'd woken up that morning, the dream, and waking up soaked in seawater. Maybe it wasn't quite so off the mark...

"Yes," The chef spoke, "However, magical abilities, if a person has them, usually manifest by the age of 16. So if you haven't experienced anything then-"

"I- I think I might have, actually," Blake said, cutting him off. She fidgeted with her cutlery for a moment. She wasn't well versed enough in this to know if it would actually count, but she had a nagging feeling that her experience that morning fell under this category. "Last night, I... I had a strangely vivid dream, and when I woke up I... I was drenched in seawater."

This time both of Ren's eyebrows shot up.

"That would certainly-"

"Ok but why now??" Nora interrupted him, "Like, you've never had anything like that before?"

Blake wracked her brain, trying to remember. She'd been in the white fang when she turned 16, busy traipsing across the world with Adam and his group of... 'activists'. Things had certainly been crazy during that time, but nothing stood out as particularly... magical.

"I don't think so, no. Not until this week." Blake answered, her ears flattening on her head. She was lost and confused, more so than usual. All of this new information did help explain some things, but she was still no closer to finding how she fit into everything. She let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her forehead.

"Well," Nora said quietly, "We uh, I'm sorry we couldn't be of more help..."

"No, no, it's ok," Blake waved off, pulling herself back together, "Just another mystery, yeah?"

"Yeah," Nora said, giving her a small smile, "If you got any other questions you're always welcome to stop by and chat. It's always great havin' a new face around!"

"Thank you," Blake said, giving the bubbly girl a genuine smile. She stood up from the booth, brushing herself off. "I suppose I should get going, and let you two get back to work."

"It's no problem." Ren said, getting up as well. He held out a hand to her, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Blake."

"You too, Ren," She took his hand and gave it a quick shake. She was not prepared for Nora to suddenly pull her into a bear hug. Her eyes widened as she caught the small smile on Ren's face.

"Don't be a stranger, you hear?!" Nora said, finally releasing her. There was a blinding smile on the girl's face. "Oh, and if ya wanna know more about Sirens in particular, go talk to the guy who runs the pier! He's got some uh, Experience." The giggle that followed that statement did not exactly put Blake at ease, but she nodded nonetheless.

"Right, I uh, might go and do that. Thank you again, both of you." Ren waved her apology off as he returned to the kitchen. Nora unlocked the door and flipped the sign back around, her smile never fading.

"See you next time, Blake!" She called as Blake left, "And good luck!"

Blake sighed. So much for a relaxing vacation.


End file.
